Transitioning Structured vs. Unstructured Environments into the Writing Center
I recently had the privilege of attending the third Academic Peer Educator's Conference at Texas A&M University, and at this conference, I sat in on Cameron Brown's discussion of "Structured vs. Unstructured Environments." Cameron Brown was a Supplemental Instruction leader. One of the instructors, Caroline Hirko, described the Supplemental Instruction, or an SI, as: “a program to help student's succeed academically in not only challenging courses, but also throughout their collegiate career. SI leaders facilitate learning skills through peer led group sessions to create a positive and rewarding learning environment.” So, Mr. Brown’s discussion was based around a classroom-oriented setting, but if one looks closely at the definition given, one may see where SIs and writing centers share common ground. Brown defined a structured environment as one where the instructor sets out clear and direct instructions for learning. An example of a structured environment in